


What She Wanted

by fanfoolishness (LoonyLupin), LoonyLupin



Series: Starshine Over Beach City: Moments from Steven Universe [5]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-01-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22385770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonyLupin/pseuds/fanfoolishness, https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoonyLupin/pseuds/LoonyLupin
Summary: ("Rose always did what she wanted!" Greg said once.)***Greg watches the videotapes for Nora and Steven, and realizes Rose has lied to him.
Relationships: Rose Quartz/Greg Universe
Series: Starshine Over Beach City: Moments from Steven Universe [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1523993
Comments: 10
Kudos: 121





	What She Wanted

Rose stood in the predawn dark at the back of Greg’s van, damp sand clinging to her feet. For a moment she could only stare at the two videotapes sitting in the back of the van, thick black ink scrawled on their sides. _For Nora. For Steven._ Rose shivered at the sight of them, and the truth they held.

Greg sat quietly beside the television, his legs dangling freely. He looked down at his shaking hands and Rose reached out to touch them. He flinched and pulled away, and she lowered her hand.

“When were you going to tell me?” he whispered hoarsely.

“Greg, I –”

“Don’t you think I deserved to know?” The words were pure anguish driving into her, sharper than any pain she’d ever felt before. His face twisted before he buried it in his hands. “I thought – I thought we’d be in this together –”

She knelt in the shadowed sand, lowering herself until she was only a little taller than him. Her fingers brushed against her gem and the baby responded, the fluttering kicks a joyful dance within her. Tears burned her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she pleaded. “I should have told you before – I should have told you a gem can’t be shared, or divided, or –”

“You knew what this meant all along!” he cried. “Is this suicide? This is crazy! How could you do this, Rose? To me? To yourself?”

She took his hand and pressed it against her belly, against the careful, careful home she’d crafted. The baby’s kicks were strong and fierce and beautiful beneath his hand. 

“This is our child,” she breathed. “I’ve lived… too long, Greg, for all I’ve seen. For all I’ve done. This is a chance for me to give something, instead of taking it away.” 

Greg was quiet, his hand still trembling beneath hers as the baby kicked. “You should have told me,” he murmured. The trembling slowed, then stopped. “I would never have agreed if I’d known –”

“I know,” said Rose, shame welling within her. She had spoken so many lies as Rose Quartz. Could a final one have made such a difference? But she looked at his face, heartbroken, tear-streaked, afraid, and she knew for all her hope of change, she still hadn’t changed enough. He would never forgive her. She knew it with certainty.

Greg looked torn, his mouth wavering. “You won’t change your mind,” he said, “about the baby.” 

“No,” said Rose simply. She lifted her hand, brushing his hair back from his face, the kindness in his eyes evident even through the pain. “Will you love this child? Even without me?”

Greg leaned into her touch, his cheeks wet. “Of course I will.”

She closed her eyes, then leaned forward, her mouth finding his. It was the first kiss before the final kiss. A countdown ticking in a baby’s heartbeat. He kissed her desperately, raging against the promise of goodbye, and she held him in her arms beneath the fading stars.

**Author's Note:**

> I've thought for some time now that Rose couldn't have told Greg right away that having a baby would eliminate her existence. Greg is so happy in the Nora/Steven videos; I can't imagine he knew he would lose Rose by virtue of the baby arriving. Greg loved Rose dearly. He would never have agreed willingly for her to disappear. Now, you could suppose that Rose may not have realized at first the truth about having a baby, but I suspect she did, and when she learned that Greg wanted one, she saw a chance to give him something... while also telling herself she wouldn't be taking away anything he would miss. 
> 
> It was a terrible thing to do to Greg. But Rose... sometimes she did terrible things, no matter how good her intentions. She was deeply complicated, and deeply flawed, and I had fun trying to get inside her head.


End file.
